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CLAMP FOR TANK AND OTHER HOOPS. 1\To.261,504.l A Patented July 1.8,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. WHEELER., on EELoIr, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOE fro TEE ECLIPSE WINDENGINE COMPANY, 0E SAME PLACE.

CLAMP FOR TANK AND OTHER HOOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 261,504, dated July 18,1882.

Application filed March 13, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WHEELER, ot' Beloit, in the county ofRock and State ot' Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Clamps for Tank and other Hoops, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view cnt through the line a: w,Fig. 2.' Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig. 3 is an end view, the nut Auponthe draw-bolt being removed.

Like letters ot' reference indicate like parts in the different figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective devicefor attaching or clamping together the ends of tank and other hoops; andit consists in the provision of'a pair of clamps attached to the ends ofthe hoop, and in various details in the construction of the same, all ofwhich will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed outdefinitely in the claims.

In the drawings, A A,Figs. l and 2,' represent the two halves of myimproved clamp', preferably cast in metal, and to which the ends of thehoop B B, encircling the tank or other object to be clamped, aresecurely attached by the rivets a a. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, theclamp A is made wider than the hoop B, in order to give the former theproper strength, and is provided with flanges or projections upon itsunder side, forming arecess, b, within which the end of the hoop issecured by the rivets a a. This form of construction not only presents amore Iinished appearance, aside from bringing the line of tension of thehoop as nearly as possible into coincidence with the clamp, but it alsoproduces a smooth and even under surface, and eifectnally pre-- ventsthe ends of the vhoop from becoming embedded in the tank when the clampis tightened, thus overcoming a serious dilliculty attendant upon theuse of former modes of tightening hoops. The under side ofthe clamp ismade concave, and is intended to it the contour of the tank or objectencircled by the hoop. The clamp A is provided with an upward projectionextendinglongitudinally along its center, forming beneath the Same alongitudinal recess, C, arched in cross-section, the 'upper portion ofwhich recess extends longitudinally in a straight line, as shown in Fig.1, but the base of the Same conforms to the concavity of the clamp, thedome of the arched recess being higher at the ends than at the center orpoint of junction. Within the arched recess C, I insert a bolt, D, forthe purpose of connecting the two halves of the clamp. On the respectiveends of the bolt D, I cut threads and place the nutsE E, preferably withwashers e e intervening between them'and the outer ends of the clamp AA.

When the hoop B is placed in position over the object to be clamped andthe bolt D inserted in the arched recess G of the clamp, it is obviousthat the tightening of the nuts E E must draw the ends of the clamptoward each other with powerful force, While the tension upon the boltserves to keep the latter straight, this tendency increasing inproportion to the strain, and said bolt, bearing atits in, as wouldoccur but for the peculiar form of g the arched recess above described.

The construction above set forth and described is a very effectivedevice for uniting the ends ot' hoops upon tanks and other objects, asactual tests have shown that it possesses great strength and durability,and can at will be adjusted to any degree of tension upon the hoop,whichis drawn into the required position and held in place without thepossibility ot its ends digging into the sides of the tank or otherwisemarring its surface. This form of clamp also renders the strength of thehoop at the point of junction equal to its strength at any other-pointin its circumference. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim,and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. A device for uniting the ends of hoops for tanks andother purposes,consisting of the combination of a clamp, provided with a longitudinalarched recess, and a drawbolt inserted therein, for the purpose oftightening the same, substantially as described.

2. A clamp for tank and other hoops, provided with flanges orprojections upon its under side, forming a recess for the insertiontherein of the end of the hoop, substantially as described.

3. A clamp for uniting the ends of tank and other hoops, provided with alongitudinal arched recess for the reception of the drawbolt, whicharched recess is deeper at the ends than at the point of union,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a clamp for tank and 15 recess having its outerends deeper than at zo the point of union, with a. draw-bolt insertedtherein and a hoop attached thereto, substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, DAVID FLETCHER.

